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'Float Into the Ether Gorgeous 1969 Experimental Treasure Among the Most Atmospheric Jazz Albums Ever Recorded. Delicate, Immersing, Dynamic Mobile Fidelity Reissue Magnifies the Bold Textures, Soothing Ambience, and Transcendent Moods. Davis' First Fusion Album Features John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Dave Holland, and Tony Williams. Shhh. The command to be quiet is not just part of the title of one of the two sprawling compositions on this pioneering album. It's also an apt metaphor for the relaxed hypnotism and spaced-out atmosphere that define In a Silent Way, a record that pushes the boundaries of studio possibilities, artist-producer relationships, and rock-jazz chasms. Recognized as Miles Davis' first full-on fusion effort and part of his 'electric' era, the 1969 landmark claims a Who's Who lineup that sends the music into an ethereal stratosphere. Mastered from the original master tapes and pressed at RTI, this unsurpassed 180g LP edition lifts the veil on the cutting-edge assembly process that created the pair of lengthy suites. Helmed by three electric instruments, the beveled compositions melt away all preconceived notions of 'jazz,' -rock,' and 'ambience,' following a loose theory Davis dubbed 'New Directions.' Few albums are so delicately textured. And on Mobile Fidelity's meticulous reissue, such sulcate elements pour over ink-black backgrounds on a canyon-wide soundstage. In particular, Tony Williams' inventive percussive touch - he causes the cymbals to shimmer as a pieces of silver tend to do when exposed to sunlight - is broadcast with lifelike three-dimensional qualities, the panoramic view extending to Davis' nocturnal trumpet, Wayne Shorter's ribbon-unfurling saxophone, Dave Holland's extrapolative bass, and the mosaic of keys. If the record's only accomplishment is it's introduction of guitarist John Mc
